Wearing apparel



Nov. 19; 1940. A. SCHAUMER 2,222,090

WEARING APPAREL Filed April 28, 1957 INVENTOR.

Adolph Schaumer ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 19, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT DFHCE Claims.

This invention relates to wearing apparel of the class adapted to be worn as foundation garments under sweaters of the slip-over variety, and has for its general object the improved sym- 5 metry of the ensemble on the body of the wearer.

The most popular and pleasing utilization of slip-over sweaters requires a shirt to be worn beneath the sweater for the purpose of lending a neat and finished appearance around the neck of the wearer, where only, the shirt will be visible. Various dress combinations of which shirts are a part requires that the shirts be tailored to fit the wearer loosely to afford freedom of movement, and that the material of which they are composed be of an inelastic texture. The universal acceptance of these' basic requirements is so well established that departures therefrom are impractical for correct styling. Consequently, when shirts are worn beneath sweaters which are adapted to conform to the contour of the body of the wearer, the excess material of the shirt due to its inelasticity, is folded and creased, causing unsightly bulges and deformities in the disposition of the sweater on the wearer. While movement of the wearer is freely permitted by the yieldability of the sweater without causing its disarrangement, this advantage is counteracted by displacement of the shirt body in conformance with changes in body posture.

It is a principal object of my invention to obviate the aforementioned and other obvious difliculties in the prior art by the provision of a garment, having certain visible portions formed to simulate a shirt and a lower body portion composed of expansible and elastic material to insure a smooth surface as a foundation for sweaters and the like, and to enable its conformance with the contour of the body of the wearer at all stages of postural change.

Another object is to provide a garment adapted to be worn with sweaters which will supplant the usual shirt and undergarment jersey.

Another object is to provide a device of the 4 character above indicated which is adapted in specific embodiments to integrally combine underclothing for the lower trunk of the wearer with a simulated shirt portion and elastic jersey portion.

Another object is the provision of a garment comprising means to constrictively encircle the waist of the wearer, having elastic shoulder straps therefor whereby a collar of shirting material forming an integral part thereof may be drawn taut and maintained in a position on the wearer most conducive to neatness and distinction.

Another object is to provide a combination shirt and undergarment which is more economical in both manufacture and ownership, principally by minimizing the quantity of shirting material required than by separate garments of the prior art adapted to analogous utility.

Other objects and corresponding advantages of my invention will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon an examination of the following description read in the light of the accompanying drawing, in which- Figs. 1 and 2 are front and rear portion views in elevation, respectively, on one embodiment of my invention;

Figs. 3 and 4 are similarly front and rear Views of a modification thereof.

Referring to the drawing in detail the numerals of which indicate similar parts throughout the several views, 5 designates a shirt shoulder yoke having a central opening 6, to the edges of which opening a conventional type turneddown collar 1 is integrally attached. Yoke 5 supports a back portion 8, and a bosom piece 9 in front and below the collar, having its lower rearward and forward edges sewed thereto. The downward and lateral extension of the back and bosom piece may be varied in specific embodiment depending primarily on the style of sweater or jacket to be worn therewith; these pieces preferably being only large enough to underlie the entire edge of the neck of the sweater at all times in normal use.

The middle of the bosom piece 9 and the front of the collar 1 are split and pleated at ID in a manner simulating a shirt front. The two side portions H and I2 of the bosom piece, separated by pleat lfl, are sewed together at the bottom of the pleat. Button and button holes, as indicated at [3, are provided to detachably secure the adjacent edges of the bosom side portion H and collar 1 above the point of joinder of said side portion.

A circular body piece M is provided to encircle the middle trunk of the wearer. The upper edge of the body piece I4 is accurately cut away at opposite sides as at IE, to form, with the side edges of yoke 5, the bosom piece 9 and the back portion 8, the edge of an armhole [9. Body piece I4 is sewed at its upper edge, front and back respectively, to the bottom of the bosom 9 and back 8 so as to form a lower continuation of the same. It is essential to the present invention that piece M be composed of a contractibl or elastic textile material and that it be made to fit the form of the wearer snugly, particularly at his waist.

It will be apparent that the narrow waist portion of the body piece will tend to maintain its desired position around the waist of the wearer, but due to its elastic nature will stretch in response to body movement without excessive restraint, When tension is released the contraction of the material of which the body piece is composed will draw the inelastic bosom 9, back 8 and yoke 5 downwardly and flatly on the upper trunk of the wearer to its desired position, eliminating wrinkles or bulges in any part of the garment which may form by normal movement of the wearer.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the yoke l! of the garment as well as bosom l8 and back I9 are narrower than the analogous elements of Figs. 1 and 2, and are sewed at their side edges to flanking shoulder straps 20, comprising upper extensions of body piece l4. Strap 20, being composed of the same contractible material as piece I4 adheres to the body of the wearer around the arms so as to obviatethe formation of wrinkles parallel to said straps in the bosom, back or yoke.

Shorts 2| of any design well known in the art, composed preferably of the elastic material of which piece M is made, are integrally attached in a usual manner to said body piece. The provision of shorts 2| greatly augments the function of body piece M by preventing the upward shift of the lower portion of the elastic body piece to the waist of the wearer, which is a particularly objectionable result of prior art apparel of the character here contemplated.

An important essence of my invention resides in the combination of means, composed of contractible or elastic material, to encircle the lower trunk of the wearer, which in the embodiments illustrated comprises body piece I l, with an upper, inelastic portion of the garment, adapted to be visible in use, whereby the contractibility of the lower portion will maintain the entire garment free of wrinkles and folds. All apparel, either for men or women which is adapted to be worn under an outer garment will accordingly be suitable for the incorporation of the present improvement.

While I have shown but two embodiments of my invention it will be obvious that numerous changes may be made in. size, shape, arrangement and the proportion of the parts specifically illustrated and described, as, for example, the yoke across the shoulders as well as the bosom piece and back may be made narrower than shown to decrease the tendency of the wrinkles forming in these portions; a detachable collar may be substituted for the turned-down collar, depicted; shorts may be provided for embodiment with or may be omitted from any modification hereof; or any other means connecting the lower front and back portion of the body piece adapted to extend through the crotch of the wearer may be employed as a substitute forthe shorts to prevent the upward shift of the garment in use-all without departing from the spirit of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a garment, a shoulder yoke of woven material, a bosom piece of woven material secured to such shoulder yoke, an endless elastic textile waist member having its upper edge secured to the lower edge of said bosom piece, and elastic shoulder straps flanking said bosom piece and yoke having their opposite ends secured to said waist member, and entire reaches of their inward side edges secured to the side edges of said bosom piece and yoke throughout the entire length thereof.

2. In a garment, a shoulder yoke of woven material, a bosom piece of woven material secured to said shoulder yoke, a back portion of woven material connected to said yoke, a knitted waist band connected to the lower edges of said back and bosom piece, and shoulder straps of knit material flanking and secured to the entire side edges of said bosom, yoke and back to maintain their lateral extension and secured at opposite ends to said waistband.

3. In a garment, a shoulder yoke of Woven material, a bosom piece of woven material secured to said shoulder yoke, a back portion of woven material connected to said yoke, a knitted waistband connected to the lower edges of said back and bosom piece, and knitted pieces secured to the opposite side edges of the bosom and back forming a portion of the edge of an arm opening and extending upwardly to a point intermediate the top and bottom of the arm opening to draw taut on the body of the wearer the portion of the bosom piece arranged laterally of the arm opening.

4. In a garment, a shoulder yoke of woven material, a bosom piece of woven material secured to said shoulder yoke, a back portion of woven material connected to said yoke, a knitted waistband connected to the lower edges of said back and bosom piece, and shoulder strips of knitted material secured to the side edges of the bosom piece and back and forming the lower edge and side edges of an arm opening, said shoulder strips being effective to exert a resilient lateral tension on the entire bosom piece and back portion to draw the same taut on the wearer.

5. In a garment, a shoulder yoke of woven material, a bosom piece of woven material secured to said shoulder yoke, a back portion of woven material connected to said yoke, a knitted waistband connected to the lower edges of said back and bosom piece, and shoulder strips of knitted material connected to the sides of said bosom piece and back forming substantially the lower half of the edges of a pair of arm open- 1ngs.

ADOLPH SCHAUMER. 

